1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a simple, economical, and efficient means for lifting a patient from his bed so that, for example, bed pans may be inserted and removed, dressings may be changed or bed linens may be changed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When one is caring for an invalid or bed-ridden patient, it is often necessary either to lift the patient for the purpose of placing on a bed pan, changing bed clothes or linens, or to turn the patient for the purpose of preventing bed sores. While there are numerous, expensive and sophisticated apparati for accomplishing such movement in hospital installations or intensive care and burn units, there is very little available for private use, or by the use of which a single individual can lift and/or move a patient safely and conveniently. Of course, the problems associated with moving an invalid, or bed-ridden, patient are not new, and there are numerous patented prior art devices for solving this problem.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,055 to Blair discloses a patient lift and support for a hospital bed utilizing flexible netting to lift the patient above the bed's mattress. The device of the Blair patent is both useful and economical, but its construction requires that the patient actually be lifted by the arm strength of the user. A somewhat similar device for moving patients is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,717 to Underwood. Using the device of this patent, either a two-step procedure would be necessary, or two individuals would be necessary to accomplish the lifting operation. In fact, the Underwood device is quite similar to the Blair device with the primary difference being that Blair does disclose a ratchet-type mechanism for winding the flexible net support member around a horizontal frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,878 to Combs does teach a device useful for moving bed patients which is certainly simple, from a mechanical point of view, and is suitable for private use. According to the Combs teaching, a strap is placed across the mattress beneath the patient, and one end of the strap is fixed to a side rail of the bed. The other end of the strap is grasped and pulled by the user for the purpose of causing the patient to move. In an alternate embodiment, the strap is configured to define a sling, or saddle, so that a seated patient can actually be lifted from the mattress when the free end of the strap is grasped and pulled by two persons. The Combs device is certainly suitable for moving a patient and is also economical in that it involves no moving parts; however, use of this device would require an operator of relatively great upper body and arm strength. Furthermore, no means are disclosed or suggested in Combs for maintaining the patient, or any part of the patient's body, in an elevated position other than by maintaining a pulling force on the free end of the strap.
Other examples of prior art devices utilizing mechanical means for raising, or moving, an invalid patient are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 359,728 to Knapp; 1,698,754 to Gadbois; and 3,673,620 to Saunders. Since all these devices do include mechanical parts, they ultimately depend upon substantial modification of the bed frame in order to accomodate the mechanical parts by which lifting of the patient is accomplished. It is therefore apparent from a consideration of the prior art as well as the personal experience of this inventor that there is a great need in the art for a simple, yet efficient, patient lift device of the type which can be utilized in combination with a standard bed frame having opposite side rails and a mattress therebetween.
Such a device should not only be capable of installation and use without structural modification of the bed, but it should also be capable of safe and efficient use, both for the patient and the operator, by a single person. Furthermore, positive means should be provided for holding the patient in an elevated position even after the operator ceases applying the force necessary to raise the patient from the bed.